Therapeutic table



July 30, 1940- LE ROY E, GIBSON THERAPEUTIC TABLE Filed Jan. 30, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q NVENTOR LE ROY E. GIBSON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `Iuly 30, 1940.

y THERAPEUTIC TABLE F'iled Jan. 5o, 1959 O 6,? 2i /4 72 f i [N VENTOR A TToR/ws V5'.

Patented July 30, 1940 "UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE THERAPEUTIC TABLE Le Roy Eugene Gibson,` Pontiac, Mich. Application January y30, 1939, Serial No. 253,533

u. 1 Claim.

This invention relates to therapeutic tables. The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved therapeutic table for stretching a patient; to provide a treatment table on which a patient may lie down, relax, and while in such relaxed vposition have the body stretched, particularly the spine; to provide a therapeutic table which is simple in construction ,v and which may be readily manipulated by the i operator; and which is at all times under the control of the operator or of the patient himself while in a reclined position.`

yAn illustrative embodiment offthis invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

I Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the improved therapeutic table showing a patient in position thereon receiving a treatment. l

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 3'of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, partly the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. l

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

As a result of many years of experience and substantiated by case records of many hundreds of patients, it is evident that disorders of the internal organs are in nearly every instance caused from pressure on the nerves which branch out between the various vertebrae of the spinal column. As substantiated by case records, such disorders may be quickly, and in some instances practically instantaneously, cured by stretching the vertebrae of the spine so as to relieve the pressure on the communicating nerves.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the table comprises a rectangular, horizontally disposed, table top member generally designated Ill which may be formed of a relatively heavy and substantial board I2 having a pad I4 thereon covered by canvas I6, or other suitable cloth.

The top I0 is supported adjacent its four corners by vertically disposed legs I8 which are connected by horizontally disposed side braces 20 and 22, and similarly disposed end braces 24 and 26, all of which are in spaced relation to the in section and partly in elevation, taken along' lower end ofthe legs so as to lend strength and rigidity to the table structure.

One end of the table top, at the medial point thereof, is provided with a vertically disposed metal post 28, the lower end of which is turned at right angles, as shown at 30, to t underneath the board I2 to which it is rigidly secured by screws 32. of slidable set collars 34 and 36 which may be adjustably positioned on the post by means of knurled set screws 38 and 40, respectively.

The collars 34 and 36 adjustably position and retain a horizontally disposed equalizing bar 42, the middle part of which is provided with an eye or ring 44, formed by bending the bar in the form of a closed loop or circle with the free ends extending .in opposite directions in substantial alignment with each other. The outer ends of the equalizing bar 42 are bent to provide hooks 46 and 48 which are adapted to receive closed loops of rope or cord 50 and 52, respectively. The loops 50 and 52 are preferably provided with padded portions 54 and 56, respectively, which may be placed underneath the arms of a patient lying on the table top, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The loops 50 and 52 are detachably attached to the equalizing bar 42 which in turn is rigidly held by the' post 28 and thus provides a firm and secure anchor for the upper part of the patients body.

Means are provided for exerting a positive pull on the patients lower extremities and comprise a geared mechanism having a main shaft 60 hoizontally disposed transversely of the table in spaced relation under vthe top thereof with the opposite ends of the shaft journaled in sockets 62 and 64 which are secured to the innersides of longitudinally extending, edgewise disposed, wood brace members 66 and 68, respectively. The socket 64 is integrally formed as part of an angle bracket having a vertically disposed portion at tached to the brace 68 and a horizontally disposed leg 'I0 which is attached to the underside Vof the table top board I2.

The shaft 60 is adaptedto have one end of a cable 12, preferably of stranded wire, anchored thereto, as shown'at 14, the free end of which passes around a guide pulley 'I6 journaled. in a bracket 'I8 which is attached to the upper edge of the end brace 24. From the guide pulley 16, the cable 'I2 extends upwardly and outwardly to pass around a guide pulley ll'which is journaled between theouter'converging ends of a plurality of brace members 82 which are attached to that end of the table, two of the brace members being The post 28 is provided with a pair attached to the undersides of the table top and the other two to the adjacent legs.A The brace members 82 extend outwardly and upwardly so that the guide pulley 80 is vertically spaced above the horizontal plane of the table top, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

From the guide pulley 80, the cable 'I2 extend horizontally toward the table top and is attached to an equalizing barl 84 which Ais of the same general construction as the equalizing bar 42. Hooked endsA 8|5` and 88 of the equalizing bar 04 are adapted to engage hooked ends 90 and 92 of metal braces which are riveted or otherwise suitably secured to leg straps or Yclamps 94 and 96, respectively, which are adapted to bestrapped or otherwise suitably secured to the calves `of the patients legs. n

Means are provided for rotating theV shaft 60 Yin both fast and slow motion, and comprises' a` hand wheel |00 havinga shaft |02 rigidly keyed thereto at oneend thereof, the other endV of-isaid shaft having an axiallyextending squared socket IMl formed' therein, and having gear teeth |06 exteriorly formed thereon.r Thebracket yin which the socket S4 and horizontal flange `l0 are ,integraliy formed' is generally designated |08 in Fig 6A of the drawings, and as shown therein ,is

provided with asleeve portion II0 adapted to pass through anfo'pening formed in the side brace 60 and having "a bore therethrough of a size to serve as ajournal bearing for the shaftY |02. A

V.depending flange I |2 is formedon the horizontally extending flange 'I0 in position fto have the inner end of the shaft |02 abut thereagainst and thereby holdY the gear teeth |05 in correct position to'mesh with-agear Wheel I |4 non-rotatably securedvt'o the shaft 60 by a pin ||6 which extends through an axially extending sleeve of the gear ||4 and passesv diametrically through the shaft 60.. 3

The gear wheel I I4` serves as a setl collar to hold the'opposite end of the shaft 60 in its socket 62,' and the bracket I 08 is-also provided with a horizontally extending sleeve portion |I8 which serves as a journal bearing for the shaft 60 which extends substantially halfway therethrough. This end of the shaft 60 terminates in a square axially extendinglug. |2-0- which is adapted to have easy sliding iit in the socket |04 which is formed in the end of the shaft |02. vThe bore through the sleeve IIS is of uniform diameter and the shafts |02 and 60 are of substantially the same outside diameter so that the end of 'the spring |226 has one end secured'to-the pawl |22 and its other end anchored to a hroizontally extending pin |28 mounted in the vertical flange of bracket |08. f f

'I'he paw] |22 is rigidly mounted on a horizontally disposed shaft |30 which extends through andA is journaled in the bracket |081and protrudes beyond the outer side ofthe side braceV l|58 where v it is provided with a handle |32 by which it may be swungV away from the gear teeth against the action of the 'spring |26.

In the operation of this device the patient is placedupon the table in .a comfortable position ,Y

and the arm loops adjusted underneath the arm pits with the ends of the loops secured over the hooked ends 46 and 48 of equalizing bar 42. The

height o-f the equalizing bar 42 is adjusted on its supporting bar 48 by means of the set collars 34 and 36 so asto be in substantially the same horizontal plane as the patients arms so as to exert a straight pull thereon. The leg clamps-94 and 96 are secured. tothe calves of the patients legs vand equalizing bar 84, which is attached to the cable |2, is then hooked to the ends 90 and 92 ofthe leg clamps.

The hand wheel-|00 with its shaft |02 is then placed. in theposition shown in dotted lines in n Fig. 5 of the drawings with the socket |04, formed in the endv o-f the shaft |02, fitting over the squared end |20 of the shaft 60. The hand lwheel is then rotated to take up all slack in the cable |2 and. place an-initial tension on all of the parts aswell as the patientsbody!v i 'Ihe hand wheel and attachedy shaft is then removed and slipped into the bearingformedin sleeve ||0 with `the teeth .|06 on the inner end of theshaft |02 in, mesh withgthe teeth of gear v located medially of the table, it is both possible and convenient for a patient lying upon the table to manipulate the hand wheel himself, and thereby gauge the amount of stretching to whichhis body is subjected. The paWl `|22 being normally spring pressed to ride upon the teeth of the gear time willy align theA vertebrae so that sidewise pressure on the spinal cord'is relieved. r

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that further details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the following claim.

. What is claimed is:

In a therapeutic table for stretching a patient and having meansl for clamping one extremity of they patient to the tableafcab=le having one end adapted to be detachablyl attached to the other extremity. of the patient, the other end of. said cable being anchored to a shaft. journals for said shaft on said table, a gear non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, a journal bearing bracket for one end of said shaft, said shaft gear being adjacent thereto and abutting against said journal bearing` bracket, such endof such shaft terminating in an axially extending coupling, a hand wheel, a shaft rigidv'to said yhand wheel vat one end thereof, the other end of said handv wheel shaft having a complementary coupling for attachment to the end of said cable Winding shaft, and pinion teeth formed on said hand wheel` shaft adapted to mesh with said cable winding shaft'gear, and a journal bearing formed iin said bracket for receiving said hand wheel shaft and for holding said pinion teeth in mesh with said shaft gear.

f 'LE-'ROY EUGENE GIBSNl 

